Mark loves his husband Sam very much but lately everything seems to have become a little stale, old and jaded. He and the much younger Sam have been together for 15 years and had gotten married 5 years ago. Their marriage was now in the doldrums and like a union between a straight couple in their situation, they hardly spend time with each other. When they make love it’s always a rather hurried affair because they have too much “stuff” to do. Recently he began to notice Sam checking out other men

Sam loves Mark but feels that he no longer has time for him in his busy life and he is at a loss over what to do to get things back on track. He and Mark don’t seem to be able to talk to each other about the important things and each feels constrained because he can’t find a way to close the widening chasm in their relationship. Sam’s friend Dev suggests bringing someone else into their lives might do the trick, but he’s not so sure. Then Mark decides enough is enough and puts his fear of rejection aside to talk to Sam because nothing is more important to him than his husband, but Sam drops a bombshell and suggests they look on-line for someone to share their bed. Mark is devastated and fears that this is the beginning of the end. He agrees with a heavy heart to share Sam’s body as long as he retains his heart but his premonition that this will not end well is proven right when the situation blows up in their faces!

Although I would have liked a more substantial plot, Husbands and Wives: GWM Wanted beautifully illustrates the value and importance of open and ongoing communication in any relationship. Mark and Sam love each other very much but don’t talk because of fear of rejection – they prefer not knowing if the love they once shared is now one sided. They internalize the pain and desolation it would cause if they separated and each thinks that the other one is on the verge of moving on. Mark is so busy pumping up in the gym to be attractive for Sam who is gorgeous and 12 years younger that he doesn’t have the time to find out what Sam wants. Sam only wants the one man he has ever loved but fears that Mark is bored with him and suspects that he is meeting someone at the gym, but he never asks Mark because he doesn’t want to know. Then life smacks them in the face and they wake up to the realization of what is really important and how much they have to lose if they no longer have each other.

I loved the characterizations and I think that Amanda Young did an amazing job on Mark and Sam; as another writer said, “strong characters can carry a weak story”. When they come together the sex is awesome and the love is palpable. The fact that they were willing to do anything to save their marriage, even having a threesome with someone else – something neither one wanted is evidence of how much they loved each other. I definitely recommend Husbands and Wives: GWM Wanted to anyone in a relationship and to new readers and fans alike of this author.